[Mick]

The FY '24 budgeting/funding legislation is moving along predictably, and predictably slowly.  Everything should be wrapped up by this weekend, only ~6 months late.  May as well take up a CR soon since everyone knows that a FY '25 budget won't pass at least until after the election.  Anyway, the relevance of that mess to Ukraine is that the House can finally take up an aid supplemental starting next Monday.  Any bets on how long it will take before Biden signs something?  The clock is ticking for the Ukrainian people...

I don't get the continued aggressive statements attributed to Macron and the head of the French Army. What audience are they playing to and for what reason.  I thought the issue would die. Maybe he really believes Putin has to be stopped in Ukraine. I don't see how any rational leader can expect to just commit ground forces and not commit their air force too. 20,000 men isn't going to change the war all that much if it there is no other support.

Perhaps Macron is simply tired of repeated nuclear weapon use threats from Putin and his senior officials. Maybe Macron wants to be viewed as Europe's military leader. Perhaps Macron is reversing his October, '22 position in which he came under fire for stating (however unclearly) that France wouldn't use nuclear weapons if Putin used nukes in Ukraine:
https://www.politico.eu/article/france-e...a-ukraine/

Five days ago, in response to Putin's comment "weapons are meant to be used" Macron reversed his stance:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...raine.html

[Mick]

The FY '24 budgeting/funding legislation is moving along predictably, and predictably slowly.  Everything should be wrapped up by this weekend, only ~6 months late.  May as well take up a CR soon since everyone knows that a FY '25 budget won't pass at least until after the election.  Anyway, the relevance of that mess to Ukraine is that the House can finally take up an aid supplemental starting next Monday.  Any bets on how long it will take before Biden signs something?  The clock is ticking for the Ukrainian people...

I don't get the continued aggressive statements attributed to Macron and the head of the French Army. What audience are they playing to and for what reason.  I thought the issue would die. Maybe he really believes Putin has to be stopped in Ukraine. I don't see how any rational leader can expect to just commit ground forces and not commit their air force too. 20,000 men isn't going to change the war all that much if it there is no other support.

Perhaps Macron is simply tired of repeated nuclear weapon use threats from Putin and his senior officials. Maybe Macron wants to be viewed as Europe's military leader. Perhaps Macron is reversing his October, '22 position in which he came under fire for stating (however unclearly) that France wouldn't use nuclear weapons if Putin used nukes in Ukraine:
https://www.politico.eu/article/france-e...a-ukraine/

Five days ago, in response to Putin's comment "weapons are meant to be used" Macron reversed his stance:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...raine.html